Animal Technician

Summary:

• Work Mode: Onsite
• Location: Parnassus
• Hours: 0730-1630
• Duration: 26 weeks

Responsibilities:

• Provide daily care of animals in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Change cages and racks, deliver food and water according to established procedures.
• Maintain equipment and animal housing areas as per standard operating procedures and federal and state regulations.
• Perform record-keeping duties such as per-diems records, animal health surveillance, feed logs, temperature/humidity charts, animal receipt, and disposition logs.
• Identify, remedy, and report problems immediately.
• Perform some technical procedures required within LARC or to support the research effort.

Requirements:

• 1 year of animal handling or lab animal sanitation equipment operations experience required.
• Ability to communicate animal health information to appropriate personnel and maintain legible records.
• General knowledge of feeding, caging, and space requirements for multiple species of laboratory animals used in biomedical research.
• Ability to identify animal health concerns and regulatory compliance for assigned areas and report conditions to veterinary staff, researchers, and compliance staff.
• Full knowledge of disinfection, sanitation, and cleaning agents.
• Ability to use cage washers for cleaning and autoclaves for sterilization of cages.
• General knowledge of federal and other licensing agencies’ regulations.
• Satisfactory job performance ratings at all times during the probationary employment period.
• Ability to follow instructions, work independently, or in shared assignments with others.
• Basic computer skills, including email usage, scanning cage barcodes, and submitting Health Surveillance Reports electronically.
• Ability to follow work rules, including no eating or drinking in animal areas and no smoking at campus facilities.
• Physical ability to bend, squat, kneel, stand, reach above shoulder level, and move on hard surfaces for up to 7 hours/day.
• Ability to wear personal protective equipment as required.
• Ability to push and pull heavy objects and safely move and/or lift heavy loads (up to 50 pounds).

Preferred Skills:

• Graduation from high school/GED and completion of training equivalent to the Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician certification of the AALAS.
• One year of animal care experience; or two years of animal care experience in the care of an animal species appropriate to the particular job; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.